Curse Of Tears
by MeridaFaeScott
Summary: If there was one thing she had thought was impossible, it was this. What could she do? At first, she was sure the answer was "nothing".


**Although I've written fanfiction for Harry Potter before it's been a few years and that was before I even knew what fanfiction was called…This isn't the category I usually write for, but after re-watching a couple of HP movies this idea came to mind. **

** Let me know what you think, good or bad. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter.**

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The hall was deserted and Tessa glanced around, wondering where all her Gryffindor mates had gotten to. There was a quidditch match that afternoon and all of Hogwarts seemed to be an excited ruckus.

She may have only been attending Hogwarts for her sixth year, but it wasn't hard to catch the excitement of a good match. Tessa had not long ago, been attending a wizarding school in America. Over last summer, her family had moved to London and she was enrolled at Hogwarts. She was enjoying her second year at the school, still not tiring or quite overlooking the English accents all the students had.

Coming back to the present, Tessa's steps slowed until she came to a stop. It was far quieter than usual. Even Moaning Myrtle couldn't be heard just inside the always deserted bathroom to her right.

Tessa reached out and pressed a hand against the cool door, waiting only a moment before pushing the door open slightly so she could look inside. There was no need to disturb Myrtle if she was only temporarily sulking, she was only curious.

The sigh that met her eyes was quite contrary to that of which she had been expecting. Myrtle couldn't be heard at all and somehow Tessa just knew, the young ghost wasn't in the hushed bathroom.

The room wasn't empty, however, and Tessa had no trouble placing the identity of the person, even from the back. Not many students would enter the "haunted" bathroom -mainly Harry, Ron, Hermione, herself, and anyone else _forced _to.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint who was inside, his hair having given him away instantly. Tessa would know that pale blond hair anywhere. The straight locks were almost a cross between yellow and white and Tessa's first instinct was to turn and get away.

No one crossed Draco Malfoy and left in a decent mood. Tessa in particular had a very short temper when it came to the teenage boy in the haunted bathroom. For some reason, he easily broke her patience and made her temper shine brightly through.

Contrary to her normal reaction to his presence, though, Tessa remained where she was. Although very impatient and quick tempered, she was also quite a curious person and couldn't help but be interested as to what Draco Malfoy, pure blood of Slytherin house would be in such an odd place for.

Ignoring her conscience screaming at her to just leave it be and go away, Tessa slipped inside the room, letting the door close silently behind her. The only sound that met her ears was the constant dripping that always seemed to come with the bathroom. That, and a sound Tessa was sure she must be imagining.

Shuffling a step toward the tall boy, Tessa craned her neck to see the arrogant Slytherin's face but found it still blocked from view. Just a few more steps and she was quite close and surprised he had not yet heard her approach.

Draco was leaning against the circle of sinks, hands gripping the edge so tightly that Tessa could see his white knuckles. His head was down, as if he were looking for something in the drain, but the tension she could see in his shoulders told her he wasn't there for something quite so trivial.

There was no mistaking it at the point. Opposite to what Tessa believed was possible, Draco Malfoy was, indeed, taking cover in a deserted room and crying softly. No, that wasn't possible. That was against the way of the universe. It was just unthinkable. Yet, her ears didn't deceive her.

Tessa felt the blood rush to her head, mind scrambling for the correct reaction. It was one thing to walk in on a friend's private moment, but to walk in on an enemy's private moment, was entirely a different matter. Running her hands through her auburn waves, she still felt dumbfounded and entirely speechless.

Brown eyes wide beyond belief, Tessa swallowed dryly and did what came as second nature to her. She wasn't an easy person to get to and in instances like this, she felt awkward. But tears were tears and Tessa never enjoyed seeing someone hurt. Enemy or no.

Her shaky hand touched his shoulder, Tessa nearly flinching at the contact. Under normal circumstance she wouldn't be doing this and if she did, there would be a pain inflicted as consequence. Also, the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, and all her other friends would be flaming mad at her for so much as feeling pity for Draco, let alone trying to comfort him.

Draco stilled instantly, the soft sound of his crying suddenly gone and leaving Tessa feeling cold as dread crawled through her body. There was no way she would get away with something like this. From anyone. No one would tolerate it-not Draco, not her friends. Normally, she'd rather die than get anywhere near the Slytherin boy before her.

"What're you doing here?" his sharp, cold words were cutting in a familiar way that Tessa somehow felt comforted. Malfoy wasn't completely lost. He still sounded the same, his accent having that ever-present hint of hatred in it.

Mouth too dry and nerves acting up too much for Tessa to reply, she only clenched her jaw and drew herself closer until she was at his side, looking up at his pale face. The scowl was there as always, but he didn't meet her eyes. Malfoy looked the same as ever except for the damp cheeks Tessa had always believed had never known tears.

Tessa felt her heart pounding in her chest, not knowing what reaction to expect from Malfoy for every moment she remained. No words came to mind so she only lifted her free hand to rest on one of his gripping the sink tightly.

From looking at Draco Malfoy, one would think instantly of cold. The chilly tone he spoke in, the cold looks he gave, the icy heart he seemed to have all made Tessa expect chilly hands. It surprised her how hot his hand was beneath hers.

What was the purpose in her actions? She didn't know what bothered him, they hated each other, and she wasn't even sure Draco knew what comfort was when it was being offered-like at that moment.

"What happened?" Tessa was shocked to feel herself whisper the question, her stomach dropping when Draco slowly turned his head to face her, the familiar scowl never leaving his face.

"What's it to you, Connors?" Draco's scornful tone and use of her last name sent a jolt of realization through Tessa. He had every right to be this bitter and cold with her. They were enemies, after all. How come that seemed to keep slipping her mind? "Potter send you to spy on me?"

"Of course not." Tess snapped, narrowing her eyes and trying to sort everything out in her mind. Draco's hot hand was still beneath hers and she still had a hand resting on his shoulder. What was the world coming to?

Tessa was a quite small person, only just coming to Draco's shoulder and he made her feel a bit smaller with his superior scowl and look of disgust at her presence. She had never let it bother her before, why start at that moment?

"What's wrong?" she tried again, this time watching his eyes carefully for any sign of softening. Draco only kept up his cold look. A small sigh passed her lips as Tessa slid her hand from his shoulder, pretending that her shaking wasn't incredibly obvious as she reached to touch his damp cheek.

She knew she was breaking boundaries. Boundaries Draco didn't like crossed, she didn't even consider crossing, and her friends wouldn't speak to her for weeks if they knew she crossed them. So why did she keep on as she was?

Even his cheek was warm, despite how pale he always looked and Tessa marveled at the fact a moment. Draco surprised her with his reaction to such an intimate action and she almost asked what was wrong when he flinched. Had he ever been touched tenderly?

"I'm not going to hurt you…" she found herself saying without thinking, too late realizing that the words might anger him and Malfoy would decide to show her _who_ needed to worry about being hurt.

When he closed his eyes seemingly reluctantly, Tessa felt her breath being taken away a moment. The scowl was still on his face, but with the hatred from his eyes blocked out so, she could almost see what he would look like if he were at peace. He was actually handsome.

Tessa let her fingers slide across his warm cheek, still silently marveling at the fact that Malfoy had been crying moments ago. Not to mention the inconceivable fact that she was attempting to comfort him. And it actually looked to be helping slightly. It was impossible to wrap her head around the idea.

The only sound was the dripping of multiple leaking pipes, and vaguely Tessa wondered where Moaning Myrtle had gone. Maybe Malfoy had scared her off and she was pouting elsewhere. For some reason, she was thankful it was just the two of them without the nosy ghost.

Honestly, Tessa wasn't sure where the actions were coming from. It definitely wasn't like her-at all. Never before had she been so forward, not even with guys she had liked in the past. But here she was, acting so affectionate to her enemy.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Tessa pulled her hand away suddenly and saw his eyes open immediately. This would be the part where Draco would come to his senses and put some curse on her in his anger and hurt. Instead, a heavy silence seemed to fill the large room as they only stared.

"It's alright to cry." She murmured, more than just a little uncertain as to how he would take the words. He had succeeded in surprising her thus far and wasn't sure how much longer his toleration of her presence would last.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Malfoy stated coldly, turning his eyes away from her but not making any move to shove her hand from covering his. There was a moment in which Tessa considered turning and walking away, but soon enough she dismissed the thought.

Watching his face warily, Tessa pried his hand from his grip on the sink and hesitated only a moment before stepping in the very small space in front of him. He wouldn't meet her eyes, though and she suddenly felt very nervous and aware of his body against hers. Draco definitely wasn't going to make this easy.

As if she wasn't even there, his hand returned to his firm grip on the sink and Tessa contemplated the situation a moment, feeling the sink digging into her back at her failed attempt to put a small amount of space between them.

"No one should have to be alone when they feel like this." Tessa found herself whispering, the blood pounding in her ears as Draco's cold eyes met hers. The practically permanent scowl never seemed to so much as fade, but for some reason she had hope her stubbornness was helping him somehow.

It didn't make sense. Tessa hated Draco. Draco hated her. Her friends hated Draco, the boy who was pressed so closely against her. Things weren't how they were supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to be concerned for him-even if he had been crying. And he wasn't supposed to be tolerating her.

"I'm not falling for whatever sort of trick this is." Malfoy spat, the anger seeming to glisten in his eyes and Tessa cringed inwardly. He could be rather intimidating when he wanted to-which was most of the time. So why wasn't she following her instincts and fleeing before he could grab his wand?

"It's no trick." Tessa snapped, shaking her head slightly, "I just…" Her words faded and she couldn't come up with words to complete her statement. How to describe the sudden overwhelming pity she felt for him? Would he even allow her to pity him? Harry Potter may have been through so much in his life, but Tessa suddenly realized just how harsh things must have always been for Draco. Did any of her friends ever stop to think about that? Of course not-before that day, she herself had hated him just as much as any of her friends.

Tessa bit her lip without thinking and reached up to finger the collar of his robes, just to keep her eyes from his steely ones. Never before had she been forced to look away from his cold eyes. Usually they glared at one another until they were interrupted.

She could feel every breath he took since he hadn't allowed her any extra space in front of him. Tessa supposed it was only fair, seeing as she had forced her way in front of him. She only wondered exactly why being so close didn't make her gag or even bother her.

Slowly, Tessa lifted her shaking hands to brush her fingertips against his warm neck, distinctly feeling him tense at the contact. He didn't flinch that time, though and that made her wonder if he was getting used to her stubborn attempt at comfort.

"Feeling brave, Connors?" Malfoy spoke softly but with every ounce of disgust as his usual tone. He was taunting her, she could tell he was amused-in his own twisted way of being amused-at her actions. Maybe it wasn't helping after all. He only thought her a stupid, ridiculous thing and was amused at her weak ways.

Every fiber in her practically screamed at her to get away-or at least put space between them. Tessa shut her conscience out and rested one hand on the back of his neck, fingertips sliding into his blond locks.

Hadn't someone informed her that Malfoy was much alike with Snape in that case? Oily hair, she had been told, was the fashion for the ones who were or would be Death Eaters. It was a joke among the Gryffindors, but Tessa bit her tongue.

Malfoy's hair was as soft as could possibly be. In fact, Tessa began to wonder how the rumors had started what with such perfect hair that she now knew he had. She was scared by her own thoughts, not sure what to do with the fact that her first instinct was to run her hands through his locks.

Draco Malfoy himself had still not made a single move and Tessa wondered if maybe her actions were useless. Maybe she was only entertaining him and making herself look even more like a fool to him. There would be no one to make her feel better for acting like such an idiot, either, because she wouldn't dare breathe a word of the instance with _any_ of her friends.

Her stomach dropped when she saw Draco narrow his eyes at her. Was this the moment he came to his senses and drew his wand? Tessa knew she was quick at getting to hers, but she'd seen how fast Draco seemed to throw spells. It would be nearly impossible to defend herself against his quick attack.

There wasn't any excuse that Tessa could come up with as she leaned forward slightly. Already they were against each other, so it didn't make much of a difference. Her heart thudded in her chest and she wondered if he could hear or feel it as she brought her face closer to his.

She wasn't sure what she was doing and why, but Tessa knew that if any of her mates saw her with Draco in such close proximity, they would probably not speak to her for who knew how long. It was a risk, for her mostly, getting so close to Draco. He was like a wand ready to shoot a curse at the slightest movement.

Before Tessa could stop herself, or ever think about what she was doing, her lips were brushing against his jaw. A thrill she had never experienced before shot threw her, sending a shiver down her spine. There was no way she'd get away with such an action without some sort of dark consequence.

Draco didn't make a move as Tessa's kissed his jaw again, a little nearer his neck this time, hoping he couldn't hear her shallow breaths. His skin was warm and soft against her lips and she couldn't get herself to regret her actions.

He was tense against her and she braced herself for something, anything. A Malfoy's anger was not something to belittle and Tessa knew she had something coming. Contrary to her preparations, he still didn't make a single move.

The walls he had put up against any sort of comfort seemed to be made of impenetrateable steel, Tessa thought. Had Draco Malfoy ever even known affection? Hadn't he been more or less "with" Pansy Parkinson? But, she argued with herself, she doubted they had ever even held hands. Not to mention that at least Pansy had been a Slytherin and that Tessa most definitely wasn't.

Tessa's thought were shoved aside when she came to grips with the reality of the situation. Her forehead rested against his and Draco's hate filled eyes were boring into her timid, uncertain ones. How had she gotten as she was? There was no way she could actually _feel_ something for Draco Malfoy.

"Maybe you should run back to your mud blood friends." His hiss met her ears, but Tessa was much more distracted by the fact that his warm breath made her skin tingle. Even such hateful words didn't seem to bother her, and Tessa was surprised. Such an insult to her friends shouldn't be tossed aside so thoughtlessly. Yet, it was.

Her hands were on his waist before she could stop herself, mind painfully aware of the fact that there was no reaction on his side. It was as though he was completely immune to anything she did, yet it felt almost like he was driving her insane. What was wrong with her? Was this some curse he'd placed on her without her notice? No, it couldn't be, for his hands had never left his steely grip on the sink.

Tessa wondered how long Draco had decided to tolerate her actions. His lips were in their usual scowl, but she wondered if he would even react if she kissed them. Maybe it was the fact that he had been crying, reminding her that he was a human just like her and all the others. Or that he had been through a lot and maybe he wasn't so different but miserable inside.

"Tell me why you were crying." Tessa suggested in a whisper, painfully aware that her arms were slowly sliding around his waist despite him scowling down at her. There was no reason to think his disgusted expression was because of just her, it probably just came naturally-out of habit.

"If you so much as breathe a word about that to anyone, especially _Potter_-" Draco began to threaten coldly, but Tessa shocked herself by silencing him by brushing her lips against his.

That was it. She knew she was done for then. There was no way Malfoy's toleration could stretch that far. Different excuses came to mind that Tessa could use when she ended up explaining what had happened when her mates asked who had hexed her.

Tessa felt her stomach do a somersault at the surprise she saw on Draco's face. His eyes were a little wider than normal, though he was still scowling slightly. If it were anyone but Draco, she would have smiled in amusement at the surprise on his face.

It was such a strange, foreign feeling of holding Malfoy close as she was. Definitely not something she ever expected or even thought about. It was strange that she actually enjoyed the feeling.

"Do you ever let anyone in?" she asked tentatively, knowing it was useless to wish he'd react in some way to encourage her. Malfoy was obviously not one for affection. No one would ever think to _give_ it to him, especially.

"It wouldn't be a friend of _Potter's_ if I did." Draco's snappy reply came and she felt him tense just at the thought. For the first time ever, Tessa regretted that she was friends with Harry and the others.

"So pretend I'm not." Tessa found herself suggesting coolly, wondering where the suggestive words were coming from. She never wanted to be friend with Draco, why was she implying she wanted to be more than friends with him now?

"But you are." Draco stated coldly, the hatred clearly showing in his eyes.

"Yet you've tolerated me this far." Tessa pointed out, one of her hands slipping up to brush over his soft hair as if to set a point.

"That's a good point, but don't you think you'd better stop before you regret it? I may have to send you back to Potter and the mudbloods more than just a little damaged. If my father found out I was fraternizing with a best mate of that piece of filth it wouldn't be pretty." Draco's cold tone and insults didn't strike Tessa badly at all.

"Oh, okay. I see, scared of you father, then." Tessa stated mockingly, knowing full well she was now willingly playing with fire. He gave her a scrutinizing look before she felt him reach into his robes.

Tessa's stomach did some sort of somersault, knowing he was reaching for his wand. The smirk on his face was familiar but made her feel even more like a fool. Draco's expression made it plain that he was seeing what her reaction would be, and he had been quite satisfied with her sudden worried look.

"Now who's scared?" Draco asked tauntingly, the smirk not fading in the least. Tessa couldn't come up with a reply, but didn't have to because at that moment his warm lips brushed against hers, but only for a moment. He pulled away far too soon, making Tessa feel like begging for more.

"Draco," Tessa whispered breathlessly, but his smirk grew slightly before his mouth collided with hers again. Her mind was spinning instantly, wondering how on earth things had come to this.

His arms were wrapping around her for the first time since she'd entered and it was a better feeling than she'd imagined. Tessa felt like a traitor to her Gryffindor mates, but couldn't really get herself to mind at that moment. Everyone deserved happiness and comfort at some point.

In that moment, Tessa knew that this wasn't just a simple matter of comforting Draco. How in the world could she just walk away-happy she'd cheered someone up- after kissing the seemingly heartless Draco Malfoy.

One of her hands ran through his soft, blonde hair while the other pressed against his warm neck. Tessa couldn't really think straight, but was swept away as Draco kissed her deeper.

When they broke apart, Tessa wasn't sure if anything needed to be said but Draco filled the silence, "Tell Potter about that, Connors." He suggested cockily with his never leaving smirk.

**I know its super long, but hopefully someone liked it! ;) **

** Reviews are always appreciated!**


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